Questions You Must Ask The Substance Abuse Counselor When Planning Heroin Treatment In Vermont

If you are planning for heroin treatment in Vermont, it is quite obvious that you will want to meet a substance abuse counselor first to know about some details on how this treatment is conducted and what will be the most appropriate solution for the patient in question. It is important to schedule these meetings, because options for heroin treatment in Vermont are quite versatile and you may be in a fix to select any of them if you are not well acquainted with the program. You can get contact of a substance abuse counselor through any healthcare center in the state, or you can look up in the telephone directory or even on the Internet to find one of them. It is important that you select someone with good qualifications and experience so that they can tell you some good options.

However, when you get an appointment with a substance abuse counselor, you do not get infinite time with them. It is important that you do your homework and know what to ask them even before the appointment so that you are not in a crunch for time or do not need to schedule another appointment. Here is a list of questions that you must keep on the ready to ask them.

What kind of treatment would be suitable?

This is the first question that you have to ask. There are various treatment options for every single kind of addiction in Vermont. These options are based on the condition of the addiction as well as the requirements of the patient in question. Asking this question will prompt the substance abuse counselor to describe some of the most apt options of treatment to you and from that you can make an informed decision on which program will be the most suitable. This will also ensure a more comfortable treatment program for the patient.

What kind of medication will be provided? What are their relative advantages/disadvantages?

No form of addiction treatment in Vermont follows a single medication approach. There are various options here too. The best example is the choice between methadone and buprenorphine that you have when you are planning heroin treatment. While methadone has been used for over thirty years in the state now, buprenorphine is fairly recent. Methadone is also a very strong form of addiction treatment while buprenorphine is mild. Only inpatient treatment centers will use methadone because constant monitoring of the patient is needed as this medication is being administered, while buprenorphine can also be safely given in the outpatient format.

In this manner, there are various differences between the forms of medication that are used for heroin treatment in Vermont. You will need to know about them perfectly. You must also know that methadone works for some people while buprenorphine works for some other. For that reason, it is important to make a careful selection between them. The counselor will definitely help on this.

Should I consider a holistic program?

Holistic programs are quite popular in Vermont because it seems like they use milder forms of treatment than some of the more stringent forms of treatment. Hence, people like to consider them. However, there are certain points that you must know, and the substance abuse counselor will be the best to guide you on the subject. Vital points that he will mention are that holistic programs are not approved by the state for heroin treatment and that you will have to spend more because there is no state backing for these programs. Some substance abuse counselors will also have to know that they do not have much faith in holistic programs because of their nonqualified status. Another problem with them will be the difficulty in convincing your insurance provider to cover for this mode of treatment.

At the same time, if you are convinced about their treatment program and if you do not mind spending the extra money for the treatment with them, you can consider holistic treatment. In any case, the substance abuse counselor will provide you with a personalized response depending on the condition the patient is in.

Apart from all this, the substance abuse counselor will also help you locate a heroin treatment center in Vermont. Just tell them what kind of program you are looking for (after knowing from them what kinds of programs exist) and ask them to locate a program for you. The best point about letting them select an option for you is that they will select a licensed and qualified program, which spells several advantages for you during the entire treatment process.